Today we have Hazel Haas here to answer a few questions alongside the release of A Lady’s Ruinous Secret, book two in the Scandalous Secrets series.

Welcome, Hazel Haas!

Can you tell us what inspired this series?

As an avid historical romance reader, I realized I love all the elements of a typical historical romance, but I also wanted more. I get most excited when romance novels include storylines with mystery, danger, and excitement. This passion led me to write the Scandalous Secrets series. There’s a mystery hiding in plain sight that readers get closer and closer to discovering with each book. I can’t give too many details, but I was inspired by an interesting fact I learned about Napolean during the Napoleonic Wars. This information led me to read a fascinating non-fiction book that serves as the basis for the mystery portion of the series. I then added the danger and excitement that keeps the stories lively and, of course, the happily ever after.

What inspired this book in particular?

The first book, A Lady’s Dangerous Secret, introduces the characters who will feature in each book of the series. It seemed natural to explore Beatrice and Jack’s relationship next in A Lady’s Ruinous Secret. In Regency London, there was such a sacredness of a woman’s virtue that I wanted a FMC who was intentionally trying to have herself ruined and who was controlling the narrative. In this case, Beatrice is using her ruination to save herself and her younger brother from their evil father. She finds a notorious man from the streets for her ruination who has an agenda of his own. Beatrice and Jack make a deal: Beatrice’s ruination in exchange for information on the ton to help Jack with a secret vengeance he has been harboring for years. They embark on a scandalous adventure where the stakes climb higher and higher every step of the way.

What is your favorite aspect of Lady Beatrice Walford’s character?

She’s a perfectionist after my own heart who takes charge of any situation in which she’s thrown. Due to her controlling father, she has shaped herself into the untouchable “Ice Queen.” I loved having her find her match in Jack where she could let her guard down and be herself.

What is your favorite aspect of Jack Doherty’s character?

My favorite part of Jack is that he’s complicated and full of contradictions. He’s a dangerous man with a past replete with violence but then he can also make light of any situation. When you get to know him more, you’ll understand why he has these very different sides.

What do you love most about the dynamic between Jack and Beatrice?

Although they come from very different worlds, they’ve both always had to be in control of taking care of other people. They are each other’s equals, and I love how their relationship unfolds and how it allows them to be vulnerable.

Other than the main characters, who is your favorite side character in this story?

Eleanor by far. She is the opposite of Beatrice and is free-spirited and creative. She also has the best quips. I’m really excited to write her and Gabe’s second chance romance for the third book of the series, A Lady’s Seductive Secret.

What are some things you are really enjoying right now? Books, TV, foods, etc.?

I can’t stop reading historical romance, and I just devoured the seventh book of Sofie Darling’s All’s Fair in Love and Racing series, When a Lady Dares. I loved these books because she added horseracing subplots, which added an exciting and interesting angle. The MMC, Liam Cassidy, is one of my favorites. I’ve also continued to listen to The Country House Podcast, which helps me imagine the backdrops of my stories.

Want to know more about A Lady’s Ruinous Secret?

A sweeping historical romance with class-crossing heat, a calculated heroine playing a dangerous game, and a hero who never planned to lose his heart.

An orchestrated ruination.

A secret revenge.

An incendiary love.

Lady Beatrice Walford never thought becoming ruined would be this hard. But she’ll do anything to save her brother and herself from their depraved father — even strike a bargain with a man far outside her gilded world. What she doesn’t realize is that the irresistible Jack Doherty is dangerous on far more levels than one.

Jack Doherty is finally closing in on his aristocratic prey. He clawed his way up from the streets to powerful enough to elbow into the ton and exact a revenge years in the making. When he crosses paths with the enticing Lady Beatrice — London’s Ice Queen — he strikes a deal: her knowledge of the elite in exchange for his help. It brings him closer to what he wants than any scheme before.

What begins as a cold transaction becomes a passion neither of them can contain. As they embark on a dangerous journey where the stakes couldn’t be higher, the sacrifices required of them grow more impossible — and more necessary — by the hour.

Filled with revenge, ruination, and a passion. A Lady’s Ruinous Secret peels back another layer of the mystery hiding in plain sight at the heart of the Scandalous Secrets series.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Dark, sensual historical romance with high-stakes intrigue
• A self-made outsider and an aristocrat with secrets
• Orchestrated ruination that sparks into unexpected passion
• Historical romance with revenge, ruination, and rising heat

Preorder here: https://books2read.com/u/3LWzr7

Meet Hazel Haas:

Hazel Haas did not grow up wanting to be an author despite being a voracious reader and creating stories in her mind. Once she had a successful career, she realized something was missing. Hazel decided to write down the stories that danced in her imagination, and her creativity was unleashed. Tales of historical romance and intrigue followed, and the result was pure joy. Hazel had found the missing piece to the puzzle.

When Hazel is not meandering through the woods and envisioning her stories, she loves to read, hike, garden, go to the beach, and travel. She always prefers the unmarked paths. Hazel has a soft spot for exploring castles and country houses, where you will find her gazing adoringly at their plasterwork ceilings. She lives on the East Coast of the United States with her husband and son.

Hazel loves hearing from readers. You can connect with her and subscribe to her newsletter at: www.hazelhaas.com. Hazel is also on social media: Instagram @hazehaasauthor, TikTok @hazel.haas.author, Blue Sky @hazelhaasauthor.bsky.social, or Facebook.